1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to lightweight composite concrete, and particularly to a method for the fabrication of buildings and building elements therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
Concrete has historically been a material of choice for construction of buildings due to the ability to form the concrete, its strength and durability. Use of concrete in the construction of modular buildings is limited by various factors—two of the significant factors being the weight of the concrete and the limitations of flowability of the concrete.
Specifically, when building wall elements are relatively tall, molds for such walls must be correspondingly deep making it difficult to construct a modular concrete structure that can be economically transported and that maintains sufficient strength and durability. Historically, increased flowability has required an increased proportion of water in the concrete mixture resulting in reduced strength of the resulting product.
Various formulations have been developed to improve the weight to volume ratio of concrete, including various concrete additives (or admixes) and aggregate materials added in varied order. The use of polystyrene as an aggregate is known in the field to reduce weight and add insulating properties to concrete; however, past uses have experienced difficulty with separation of the polystyrene from the mix and penetration of the mix into deep forms. Prior uses have addressed this problem by pouring the forms in a horizontal orientation, so the forms are only as deep as the thickness of the item poured. Once sufficiently cured, the resulting wall component may be rotated into a vertical position. This method, however, does not permit the creation of integrated wall components that are not co-planar, since only one wall could be put into a horizontal position at a time. The separate components may be assembled at intended angles after curing, but such assembled angles do not provide the stability and durability of integrally poured components.
It would be an improvement to the art to develop a composite concrete that freely flows to uniformly fill all the spaces of a deep form containing internal components. In standard concrete, increased flowability of concrete has required addition of water with a significant reduction of concrete strength.
Various methods of forming modular, mobile concrete structures are known. Generally, pre-formed concrete structures involve forming sections, transporting such sections to a construction site and assembling the sections at the construction site. Because of the weight of concrete and forming limitations, such as the formation of angles discussed above, concrete sections are generally planar units or a planar unit with extending connection elements.
It would be an improvement to the prior art to provide a method of constructing modular concrete buildings or components thereof that are formed as integral units, with the integral unit including complete building sections and incorporating various building elements, such as windows, doors, electrical conduits and piping. It would be a further improvement to the prior art to construct such units of a relatively lightweight, insulating concrete having substantial strength and durability formed in an orientation ready for use.
Accordingly, objects of the present invention are to provide:                a method of constructing modular, mobile buildings and building components of a concrete type material;        a material for use in construction of modular, mobile buildings and building components.        
Other objects of my invention will become evident throughout the reading of this application.